Seam opening device



Oct. 26, 19458. R. H. M MURRAY SEAM OPENING DEVICE Fil ed June 15, 1946 IN VEN TOR.

R MMPAK Patented Oct. 26, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEAM OPENING DEVICE Ray H. McMurray, Oakland, Calif.

Application June 15, 1946, Serial No. 676,995

cutting tool in a novel, convenient and efficient manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel seam guiding means for a power driven thread cutting tool which will insure against a cutting of the fabric at either side of a seam.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved means for guiding the seam of a stitched fabric toward the cutting edge of a power driven thread cutting tool which may be adjusted for operation upon seamed fabrics of diiferent weights and/or thread sizes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined set of guides for a thread cut ting tool of the character described in which one set of guides operates in a novel manner to spread the seam and prevent an engagement of the stitched fabric with the thread cutting tool, while the other set of guides operates in a novel manner to align the fabric carrying the seam with the seamspreading guides.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part evident to those skilled in the art, and in part pointed out hereinafter in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein there is shown by way of illustration and not of limitation a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a complete machine embodying the invention,

Figure 2 is an end view of the machine as shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along line IIIIH of Figure 1 looking in direction of arrows,

Figures 4 and 5 are corresponding sectional views taken along line IV--IV of Figure 3 looking in direction of arrows and with the parts in different positions,

Figure 6 is a bottom view looking upwardly at the device as shown in Figure 3 of drawing, and

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view showing 8 Claims. (Cl. 164-47) the details of the thread cutting blade and seam guiding means as illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawing.

Unlike the showing in my above identified copending application, my present device is here shown as mounted upon an independent supporting pedestal I0, rather than as associaated with a sewing machine of conventional design. The pedestal I0 is here shown as adapted to accommodate a suitable electric motor that may be'lconnected to a service outlet by a lead I2 and controlled by means of a switch I3. Extending from one side of the pedestal Ill there is an overhanging arm I4 having an operating head I5 upon which my improved seam opening device, here designated generally by the numeral I6, is mounted. In this arrangement the seam opening device I 6 is supported in an elevated position above a work table or surface I! upon which the fabric or article of clothing carrying a seam to be opened may be disposed.

As is more clearly shown in Figure 2 the seam opening device It is secured upon the operating head I5 by annular coupling flanges I8 in such a manner that the cutting tool and the seam guiding means, to be hereinafter described in detail, are positioned outwardly slightly in front of the operating head so as to be in full view of an operator.

By now referring to Figure 3 of the drawing it will be noted that the seam opening device I 6, comprises a frame or supporting member I9 that has an angularly disposed guideway 29 in which a reciprocating blade supporting member 2| is adapted to be moved by a pitman 22 which is connected at its upper end to an eccentric or crank portion 23, carried by driving shaft 24 which is driven by the motor I I. The reciprocating blade supporting member 2| is here shown as having a thin blade 25 adjustably secured thereupon so as to position its cutting edge vertically adjacent a slot or space that is formed between a fabric supporting anvil 26 and an overhanging extension 21 which are carried by the frame or supporting member I9. The fabric supporting anvil 26 is here shown with a relatively thinner blade like member 28 which provides a narrow edge over which the threads of a seam may move, as they are being brought into engagement with the cutting blade 25. The overhanging portion 21, is also shown as provided with a relatively thin seam spreading blade 29 which has a trailing plow-like portion 30 that operates, as will hereinafter appear, to spread the seam of a stitched fabric immediately in advance of its engagement with the edge of the thread cutting blade 25. For adjustment the seam spreading blade 29 is provided with slots through which securing screws are extended so that it may be adjusted in its spacing with respect to the fabric supporting anvil 26.

Upon now referring to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing it will be seen that the frame or supporting member 19 also serves to support two oppositely disposed andpivotally mounted fabric guiding members -3l and 32. These fabric guiding members 3| and 32 are mounted upon spaced pins 33 about which they are biased into an open position, as shown in Figure 4, by means-of a compression spring 34. At their outer ends the fabric guiding members 3| and :32 have'fiarin fabric engaging webs 35 andiat their upper ends they are adapted to engage an abutment 36 that serves to limit their outward swing about thepins 33. As a means for operating these fabric guidaingimembers 3| and-32 ibetweentheir limits of :movementsas iwhenlspread to permit the placing of a fabric thereunder and into their closedor .openative position,:-as; in guiding a fabric with its -seam forgan opening thereof, the frame or -.sup-

.lportingmember lzll-also carries-a vertically movrable iU-shaped operating member 31. This ,,U shaped operating member 3 l has an extending .finger;;pad '38 by'which itrmay be moved vertically between two limits aswill .be determined bya stop .screw 39 which extendsdnto a cutaway portion 111120118 of the depending legs of the -U-shaped operating member3l. With this arrangement it -will-be seenthat when the U-shaped operating member '3] is in its uppermost-position the fabric guidingmembers 3| and '32 Will-be freetorswin .outwardly in response .to, the spring :34 as illustratedinFigure 5 ofthe drawing. .And conversely when the U-shapedoperating member31-ismoved e'into,.-its lowermost position the depending =legs thereof will engage with the fabrictguidingzmemhers 3 I :and32 and cause them to swing inwardly against the action-of the springfl-and-bring-their lower -endslinto engagement-With the fabric adjacent the seam, as is-more:clearlyiillustrated in Figurefi, where I have shcwntwogpiecesof fabric, designated'.byrthe 'numerals l i rand 42, positioned .upon the fabric supporting anvil '26 with the threads of a stitched seam held in alignment with the cutting edge of .the thread Cutting blade 25. At vthis point it will be noted that underzthese @conditions the-free.edges:of- .the pieces of fabric (4| {and A2 extend upwardly -,where 'theyi-are free toamove along eachws-ide of the overhanging ex- :tension 27 as the :seam is spread by the seam spreadingvmember ZBaa-nd the-threads thereof are acutiby the blade 2.5.

.efiyireferring' to :Figure 6 of theldrawingzit =will ibe'note'd that the bottomofi the frame, or;supporting rmember I9 .is .1eft.open at @the :lower end :of tits -:gu-i-deway I220 in which :the blade supporting :member 5 21 operates -..and :that this :opening ex- --tends "forwardly to include the space in which ithe'blade 25 operates. "This is to insure against 1the accumulation-of any lint which mayiresult from :the cutting ofthe threadspfaseamsand, :as is :more clearly illustrated in Figure 7 of the drawing, thez-blade carrying member 22 i and the bla-de125 are :also arrangedzto moveaalongxan in- :clined path Which further-insures a-downward movement and discharge of any flint that .may result from :the: thread cutting .roperation. As :is :more -fclearlyishown .in .this latter figure of "the drawing the :cutting edge of 'thelblade 225 .-.is "disposed to move along ailinezthat risrapproximately twenty degrees (20) off vertical. This particular angular disposition of the cutting edge of the blade 25 has been found to operate most satisfactorily. It should also be here noted that the trailing ends of the blade-like member 28, carried by the fabric supporting anvil 26 and the seam spreading blade 29, carried by the frame or supporting member 19 are similarly inclined so as to provide for a uniform spacing from the cutting edge of the blade :25. "Inithis particular showing the blade-likemember 28 andthe seam spreading blade 29 are each illustrated as pro- Jvided with extending portions at their trailing endswhich are sharpened as at 43 and 44 to provide two plow-like edges which will operate to 'separatethe fabric at the seam so that only the .connected threads of the seam, here designated by the numeral 45, may be brought into engage- .ment .with the cutting edge of the blade 25. At this point it will also be noted that the frame or supporting member d9 is cut back as at 46 to provide fora free "passage .of the fabricat each ,sideicf the cutting blade 25; as the (threads of the seam are .cut.

:-It-,is believed that the-operation of my improved .-sea rn 1opening device will be readily understood :from the above and it therefore seems only necessary toadd that when beginning the operation of opening a stitched seam-the operator will firstgspread the seam at the starting .point soas to .permit the insertionof the leading threads 3 of theseam-into the space :between the bladeeli-ke memberi-ztrand the seam spreading-:blade -29, then by a slight tension on the fabric it will beil lossible forthe operator to continue the .seam zopening -;-operation to any point reguired.

While I have illustrated and ,described a :particularform of my invention, 11 desire to have it understood zthat the invention is not limited to :the specificformflisclosed, but maybe embodied "inlother'forms and arrangements thatlwillzsuggest themselves :to persons skilled in the art. It 'is believedithat this invention is :new and "it is desired to claim it :so' .that all such changes as come within the :scope -of the appended claims are to'sbe-consideredasrpart of thislin-v-ention.

Having thus :described any invention, what I claimand desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In-=a seam opening device'wf the character described, the combinatiomof a'blade supporting ineanaathread cutting blademounted upon said blade supporting means against which'the threads of a stitched seam may be moved, an anvil-like member carried by said supporting -means-over which :aseam-to be opened maybe moved toward said -blada-saicl anvil-likemember *having a rela- :tivelythinseam thread'supporting-edge extending in co planer relation with the-cutting edge of said *bla'de,=an-overhanging*projection likewisaextending outwardly from said blade supporting means and in spaced relation to said anvil like member under which a seam to beopened may pass, and a blade-like seanrspreading guide-mounted-upon safd overhanging projection :in spaced relation to said anvil-like member, the spacing between said :seamspreading guide and said anvil-like member ;approximating the :dimension :of :the threads of the seam stitching, whereby ther-goods zat.saidseamaivillrbe prevented from; engagingzsaid thread cutting blade,

2.1111 aseamaonening ldevice ofi,tbezchariacter described, the combination of .arblahersupporting aneanaga-.thread.;cuttingb1ade:mounted upon said blade supportingrmeans-ragainst whichzthexthreads ;of :a :machine stitched {seam :may be anion-ed; an

anvil-like member projecting outwardly from the cutting edge of said thread cutting blade over which a seam to be opened may be moved, an overhanging projection likewise extending outwardly from the cutting edge of said thread cutting blade and in spaced relation above said anvillike member under which a seam to be opened may pass, a blade-like seam spreading guide carried by said overhanging projection, and means for adjusting the spacing of said seam spreading guide with respect to the thread supporting anvillike member to the approximate dimensions of the threads of the seam stitching, whereby the seam carrying material will be prevented from engaging said thread cutting blade.

3. In a seam opening device of the character described, the combination of a blade supporting means adapted to be mounted upon a work table, a thread cutting blade mounted upon said support against which the threads of a machine stitched seam may be moved, means for imparting a thread cutting movement to said blade, an anvil-like member projecting outwardly from said blade supporting means over which a seam to be opened may be moved toward the cutting edge of said blade, an overhanging member disposed above and in spaced parallel relation to said anvillike member under which the seam to be opened may pass, a blade-like seam spreading and guiding means carried by said overhanging member, and means whereby said seam spreading and guiding means may be adjusted with respect to said anvillike member to accommodate only the threads of the stitching at the seam, whereby the seamed material will be prevented from engaging the cutting edge of said thread cutting blade.

4. In a seam opening device of the character described, the combination of a thread cutting blade, means for imparting a thread cutting movement to said cutting blade, a pair of spaced seam guiding projections disposed in vertically spaced relation to each other adjacent the cutting edge of said blade and between which a stitched seam to be opened may move, a seam spreading member carried by one of said spaced seam guiding projections spaced from the other of said'projections at a distance sufficient only to permit the free passage of the threads of a seam therebetween with the fabric at the seam passing along opposite sides thereof, and a fabric engaging member at each side of said seam spreading member for retaining the fabric with its scam in alignment with said seam spreading member.

5. In a seam opening device of the character described, the combination of a pair of vertically disposed seam guiding members between which the threads of a seam may move, a thread cutting blade disposed in the path of the threads of a seam passing between said seam guiding members, and a pair of opposed guiding members operating in a horizontal plane to maintain a fabric carrying the seam in alignment with said vertically disposed seam guiding members.

6. In a seam opening device of the character described, the combination of an overhanging pedestal support adapted to be mounted upon a work table, a power driven thread cutting tool mounted upon said pedestal support, power means carried by said pedestal for imparting an operating movement to said thread cutting tool, a pair of spaced seam guiding members disposed in spaced relation with each other and extending outwardly from the edge of said cutting tool between which a stitched seam to be opened may move, a seam spreading blade carried by the upper one of said seam guiding members and spaced from the other of said guiding members at a distance suflicient to permit the free passage thereunder of the threads of a seam while the fabric at each side of the seam passes along opposite sides thereof, and a fabric guiding member at each side of said seam spreading blade for retaining the seam of the fabric in alignment with said seam spreading blade.

7. In a seam opening device of the character described, the combination of a pedestal-like support adapted to be mounted upon a work table and having an overhanging operating head, a power driven thread cutting tool mounted in the operating head of said pedestal-like support, said operating head having a slot formed in one side thereof into which a stitched seam of a fabric may be moved toward said thread cutting tool, a pair of spaced oppositely disposed seam thread engaging members within said slot and spaced apart a distance sufficient only to permit the passage of the threads of the stitched seam therebetween, a pair of fabric engaging members pivotally mounted to be moved into engagement with the seam carrying fabric at each side of the seam therein, and means for holding said pivotally mounted fingers in fabric guiding relation with respect to the slot in said operating head, whereby a drawing of the seamed fabric into said slot will cause the threads of the seam to engage said thread cutting tool in a continuous manner.

8. In a seam opening device of the character described, the combination of a pedestal-like support adapted to be mounted upon a work table and having an overhanging operating head, a power driven thread cutting tool carried by said operating head, a pair of vertically spaced seam thread engaging members carried by said operating head and spaced from each other a distance sufficient only to permit the passage of the threads of a stitched seam therebetween, and a pair of horizontally spaced fabric engaging members for holding the seam of a stitched fabric in cooperating relation with said seam thread engaging members, whereby the threads in the seam of the fabric will be guided into engagement with said thread cutting tool in a continuous manner by a feeding of the fabric toward said operating head.

RAY H. MCMURRAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 564,818 Batchelor July 28, 1896 587,615 Sturart Aug. 3, 1897 608,206 Merrill Aug. 2, 1898 970,733 McGilvary Sept. 20, 1910 

